Umbrella latching and unlatching mechanism



April 3, 1956 H. KLEIN UMBRELLA LATCHING AND UNLATCHING MECHANISM FiledApril 19, 1955 |NvEN-roR #Meer iE/N ESE IIIlnvll/llrlllllllfllllilllllIllini! ATTORNEY United States Patent UMBRELLA LATCHING AND UNLATCHINGMECHANISM Harry Klein, Forest Hills, N. Y. Application April 19, 1955,Serial No. 502,373 6 Claims. (Cl. 13S- 41) The present invention relatesgenerally to improve ments in umbrellas, and in particular it relates toan improved umbrella runner latching and unlatching mechanism tofacilitate the opening and closing of the urnbrella.

The conventional umbrella generally includes an elongated shank having aplurality of ribs pivoted adjacent to the upper end of the shank, atubular runner slidable along the shank between upper and lowerpositions and a plurality of brace members pivotally connected by oneend thereof to the runner and by the other end thereof to the respectiveribs. The ribs are raised and spread and the umbrella is open when therunner is in a raised position, and the umbrella is closed and the ribsand brace members collapsed against the shank when the runner is in itslower or retracted position.

ln order to maintain the umbrella in selected open or closed position,there is provided on the umbrella shank outwardly sprung upper and lowerlatch members. When the umbrella is in open position, the latch memberengages the underedge of the runner, and when the umbrella is in closedposition it registers with a slot in the runner. When it is desired toopen or close the umbrella, it is normally necessary to unlatch therunner by manually depressingT the corresponding normally outwardlysprung latch element to permit the passage thereover of the runner. Thisis an awkward, diilicult and usually hazardous manipulation, oftenresulting in injury to the operator. There have been many mechanismsproposed for overcoming this difficulty, but these mechanisms havegenerally proven to be unsatisfactory for one reason or another.

lt is, therefore, a principal object of the present invention to providean improved umbrella.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improvedumbrella frame.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an umbrellahaving an improved mechanism for unlatching the runner to facilitate theopening and closing of the umbrella.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improvedumbrella unlatching mechanism which permits the facile opening andclosing of an umbrella without direct manual contact with the latchingelements.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improvedumbrella unlatching mechanism characterized by its ruggedness,simplicity and ease of operation.

Other and further objects of the present invention will become apparentfrom a reading of the following description, taken in conjunction withthe accompanying drawing wherein Figure l is a front elevational view ofone form of umbrella frame constructed according to and embodying thepresent invention, the umbrella being illustrated in closed latchedposition;

Figure 2 is an enlarged detailed, longitudinal, sectional 'I rice viewpartially broken away, illustrating the latching mechanism in 'its lowerlatched position;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, illustrating the runner andunlatching mechanism in a partially raised unlatched position; and

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line f-lin Figure 1,partially broken away for convenience of illustration, showing theumbrella frame latched in fully open position. i

The present invention contemplates the provision of an umbrellacomprising a shank, a plurality of ribs having their inner ends pivotedto the upper portion of said shank, a runner slidably engaging saidshank and movable between an upper (advanced) and lower (retracted)position, bracing members between the ribs and the runner, a radiallyprojecting latch element carried by said shank below the advancedposition of said runner, said latch element having an upwardly directedsubstantially horizontal latching surface and an inwardly, downwardlyinclined cam surface and being radially movable between an extended andretracted position, spring means normally urging said latch elementradially outwardly to its extended position, the lower edge of therunner, when in advanced position, resting upon the latching surface ofsaid latch element, a latch opening cam member slidably mounted on saidrunner and having a downwardly, radially outwardly inclined cam surfaceadapted to engage said latch element to urge said latch element inwardlywhen slid downwardly along said runner to permit the downward movementof said runner, said latch opening cam member having a bottom openingformed therein adapted to clear said latch element.

In the drawing annexed hereto and forming a part hereof, the referencenumeral 10 generally designates an elongated shank of substantiallyconventional construction, as metal, wood or the like, having a suitablehandle l2 at its lower end and being capped at its upper end i3.Permanently secured to the shank 10 a short distance below its upperend, is a collar 14 provided with a peripherally grooved annular llange1.6 having radial slots formed therein, a wire ring nesting in theflange' groove and engaging the pierced ends of the conventionalumbrella ribs 18, a number of which are provided, all in the usualmanner. Ribs 1S carry at points between `the ends thereof brackets Ztl,which are pinned to the upper ends of brace members 22, the lower endsof whichbraces are engaged, likewise in conventional fashion, by a wirering nesting in an annular groove formed in a peripheral flange 2d whichis located on the upper part of a tubular sleeve 26 defining a runneralong shank lll. The lower ends of the braces 22 register with radialslots formed in the flange 24.

Runner 26 slidably engages the umbrella shank 10 and is movable betweenan upper or advanced position wherein the umbrella is open asillustrated in Figure 4 of the drawing, and a lower or retractedposition wherein the umbrella is closed and the ribs 18 and bracemembers 22 collapsed as illustrated in Figure l of the drawing. Therunner 26 has formed therein a longitudinal slot 28 directly below itsupper end and is tapered slightly outwardly at its lower end as at 30 todene a circumferential stop.

A slot 32 is formed in the lower portion of the tubular shank 10 abovethe handle l2 and has registering therewith a lower latch element 34which is carried at the free end of a leaf' spring 36, the other end ofthe leaf spring 36 being secured to the inner face of the tubularumbrella shank lll whereby to urge the latch element 34 to an extendedor radially outwardly projecting position through the slot 32. The lowerlatching element 34 is provided with a substantially horizontal,radially extending lower or latching surface 38 and an upper camsuramont? face 40 hinnlined 'downwardly and radially outwardly from the'leaf spring 316, 'the upper 'cam surface 40 and the lower latchingsurface 38 being connected by an outwardlypupwardly inclined second camsurface 42 of ar'c'u'ate outline. TheA latch element 34 1is movableagainst tireur-ging ofthe leaf spring 36 into the interior of thetubular shank 10.

A second or upper latching element 44 is located in the upper portion,ofthe tubular shank directly below the lower ,edge 30 of the runner 26when the umbrella is in its fully lopened position. The latching element44 is spring supported in a manner similar to that of the lower latchelement 34, is oppositely longitudinally di ected and iscircumferentially 'spaced approximately 90 relative to the lower'latc'hing element 34. Furthermore, the` upper latchingzelernent 44 isprovided with an upper radially extending 'latching Vsurface 46substantially horiz'on'tal,` a downwardly, xinwardly inclined camsurface 48 and a secondA arcuate cam surface Si) extending between thelatching 'surface 46 and the cam surface 43.

.Runner 26 longitudinally slidably carries an unlatching member 5,2which includes an intermediate sleeve portion 54 slidably engagingrunner 26, an upper, upwardly directed cup or bell-shaped portion 56 anda lower and downwardly directed cup-shaped portion 58 terminating in abeaded lower edge 6i). The upper cup-shaped portion 56 includes avertical cylindrical wall 64 merging at its lower edge with adownwardly, inwardly inclined curved wall 66 into the upper edge of thecollar portion S4. The spacing between cylindrical wall 64 and theconfronting wall of runner 26 is greater than the projecting distance oflower latch member 44 when the latter is in its fully extended position.Similarly, the lower bell-shaped member SS is provided with a verticalcylindrical wall 68 merging at its upper edge with an upwardly, inwardlyinclined arcuate wall lil into the lower edge of the sleeve portion 54.The spacing between the confronting faces of cylindrical wall 63 andtubular shank 10 is greater than the radially projecting distance of theupper latch element 44- when the latter is in fully extended position.

It should be noted that the lower movement ot' unlatching memberSZrelative to runner 26 is limited by the outwardly dared lower edge 30 ofthe runner 26 engaging the corresponding surface 70 of the lowerbellshaped member 58, while the upper movement of the unlatching member52 is limited by the upper edge of cylindrical wall 64 abutting theunderface of peripheral ange 24.

A helical compression spring 72 registers with the upper portion of theshank 10 and is entrapped between the underface of the collar 14 and theupper latch 44. When the umbrella is in its fully opened position, theupper face of the iiange 24 engages the lower end of the spring 72 .tocompress the latter. The purpose of the spring 72 is to retard theuntoward upsetting or reversal of the umbrella frame.

Considering now the operation of the improved umbrella. In closedposition of the umbrella, the runner 26 and the lower latching element34 assume the positions illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawing, thelatching element 34 beingin extended Iposition and registering with slot28 formed in the runner 26. in order to open the umbrella, theunlatching member 52 is merely shifted upwardly along runner 26, theinclined cam surface 66 of the upper cup-shaped member 56 bearingagainst the cam surface 42 of the latch element 34 thereby urging latchelement 34 into a partially retracted position within shank 10 as'theunlatching member is raised. Upon the unlatching member reaching the topof its normal stroke wherein the upper edge` of wall 64 abuts theunderface of flange 24, runner 26 is raised and the lower edge ofrunnerslot r2t; 'abuts and bears against cam surface 42 further to depresslatch element 34 thus permitting the `runner Y26 tonpass over and clearlatch element 34 and allowing the full opening of the umbrella. Asrunner 26 "approaches its advanced position, the upper edge thereofbears against the lwer inclined surface 48 of upper latch element 44urging said latch element to its retracted position and permitting thepassage of the runner 26 over the now retracted latch element. Followingthe passage of the runner 26 over and past the latch element 44, thelatter is spring urged outwardly to its advanced position, and uponrelease of the latch opening member 52 the lower edge 30 of the runner26 bears against the upper horizontal latching surface 46 of latchmember 44 to lock the umbrella in its fully opened position, asillustrated in Figure 4.

When it is desired to close the umbrella, the unlatching member 52 ispulled downwardly along the runner 26, the cam surface 70 first engagingthe intermediate cam surface 50 of the latch element 44 urging latchelement 44 partially inwardly, the lower edge of the runner 26thereafter engaging the intermediate cam surface S0 to further move thelatcliing element A44 into a fully retracted position thereby permittingthe free downward movement of runner 26 which is pulled by means of theunlatching member 52 to its fully closed position, where vit is lockedby the lower latch element 34 in the manner previously described.

if the umbrella be turned inside out, that is, if the ribs and coveringbe wind-blown to a point where ribs 18 and the shank top denne an acuteangle, in which position spring 72 is under increased compression, theprovision ofthe easily manipulatable latch releasing member 52 'willpermit easy restoration of the ribs and umbrella covering to properposition. Formerly, this operation was difcult and awkward, since theupper latch had to be depressed, the runner pulled down past it, allWhile the shank was being firmly held vfor proper support. With theunlatching member of the present invention, such difficulties areobviated. `While there lhas been described and illustrated a preferredembodiment of the present invention, it is apparent that numerousalterations and omissions may be made without departing from the spiritthereof. lt should be noted, as a special feature of the presentinvention, that the unlatching member can be used on or applied ito anystandard frames without modication of the latter, or of the standardrunner.

l claim:

l. An umbrella comprising a shank, a plurality of ribs having theirinner ends pivoted tothe upper portion of said shank, a runner slidablyengaging said shank and movable between and beyond an upper normallyopen umbrella position and a lower retracted position, brace membersextending from said runner to said ribs, a radially projecting latchvelement carried by said shank below the advanced position of'saidrunner, said latch element having anpwardly directed substantiallyhorizontal latching siirface and a downwardly directed in- -wardly,downwardly inclined cam surface and being radially movable between anextended and retracted position, lspring means urging said latch elementradially outwardly to its extended position, the lower edge 'of saidrunner, when in normally open umbrella position, resting -pon thelatching surface of said latch element to maintain the braces and ribsin extended position, a latch opening cam vmember .slidably mounted onsaid runner and having a downwardly, radially, outwardly Y inclined camsurface adapted to engage said latch element Yto urge -said latchelement inwardly when slid downwardly'along said runner to permit thedownward movement of said ruimer and consequent collapsing of the bracesand ribs against the shank, said latch opening cam member having abottom opening formed therein sufficiently large to clear said latchelement when thc latter is in extended position.

2. An umbrella in accordance with claim l, wherein :said vlatch `elementis provided withv an intermediate outwardly, downwardly inclined camsurface extending between said latch element latching surface and saidinwardly, downwardly inclined cam surface.

3. An umbrella in accordance with claim 2, wherein said intermediate camsurface is of curved configuration.

4. An umbrella in accordance with claim 1, wherein said runner isdefined by a sleeve slidably engaging said shank and said latch openingcam member is in the form of a downwardly directed cup-shaped memberhaving an inwardly, upwardly directed upper wall defining said openingcam and terminating in an opening registering with said runner.

5. An umbrella in accordance with claim l, including a second lowerradially projecting latch element carried by said shank adjacent theclosed umbrella poa sition of said runner, said runner having a slotformed therein registering with said second latch element when saidrunner is in retracted position, said second latch element having adownwardly directed substantially horizontal latching surface and anupwardly inclined cam surface, and being radially movable between anextended and retracted position, spring means normally urging saidsecond latch element radially outwardly to its extended position and asecond latch opening cam member slidably mounted on said runner andhaving an upwardly outwardly inclined cam surface.

6. An umbrella in accordance with claim 5, wherein said latch openingcam members include a sleeve slidably engaging said runner, a rstupwardly directed cupshaped member carried by the upper portion of saidsleeve and having an opening registering with said sleeve, saidcup-shaped member having an upwardly, outwardly inclined bottom wall,and a second cup-shaped member carried by the lower portion of saidsleeve and having an opening registering therewith, said secondcup-shaped member having a downwardly, outwardly inclined top wall, theupper opening of said top cup-shaped member and the bottom opening ofsaid lower cup-shaped member being of greater radii than the distance ofthe outer edge of said latch elements from the longitudinal axis of saidshank.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

